Capture & Release
by ForeverAnon
Summary: [Haylijah Post 2x04] - Hayley in the process of saving Elijah finds herself captured along with him, forcing them to confront their emotions. With the help of Hayley seeing into Elijah's mind and witnessing his torture at the hands of Esther the the two eventually give into each other and find their much needed release. *Rated M for last chapter*
1. Capture

Capture

The room smelled stale, musty, dry, a flicker of candle snuff hanging in the air from a single or two white wax columns which had been thwarted previously by the wrath of The Original. He roused from a sickly sleep now, the rattle of chains making him feel delusional. The scent of witchy herbs grew prominent in the air and his nose wrinkled with disgust. Was it over yet? His mind panged with agony but his limbs were not free to caress. His mother had been prodding away in his mind for who knew how many incessant hours. He felt like he'd been here for days. Had he?

Elijah groaned softly, the candle light teasing his eyelids open. They sputtered hazily and he attempted to scan the blurry room. He could feel the heat cling to him from the several candles which remained alight engulfing him. His head still hung low, it felt too heavy to lift and the burden of his slumped body formed an accentuated pain at both his wrists. He didn't need to look to know the shackles were caked with lines of his blood for some fresh drops even now trickled down his arm, ignorantly increasing his unease.

Elijah now attempted to drag his aching feet, to straighten himself into a position that felt even the slightest bit less deranged. It was no use. He knew Esther was weakening him with her magic somehow as he looked down at his battered and flayed shirt. His chest was marked with agonizing lines. Some sort of blood ritual he assumed, hissing at himself at acknowledging this pain. The more he awakened the more every factor of anguish became more distinct; the cramp at the soles of his feet, the horrific twitch in his palm, the thirst lining his throat. He felt the sudden urge to roar with every fibre of energy left inside him but then methodically forced himself to decide against it.

The several bursts of twinge dancing mockingly up his body were only bewildering him more. He tried to fight to remain calm as pathetic as it sounded in his head. However as he ineffectively tried to battle with the army of pain impulses and their pointed spears, a spur most suddenly blasted over him. His vampire instincts were expanding now as he grew more alert and that scent...that scent...

Elijah's mind spun. That beautiful scent of the woody outdoors crushed freesias, irises, the bayou flowers... that sensuous faint wispy smell, fresh and soft but firm and strong. It smashed around him like fireworks and he blinked repeatedly.

"Hayley..." he breathed and then his eyes scrunched shut.

_I'm going insane._ He cried inside wanting to desperately to clasp the sides of his forehead and in turn tear out his dark strands of hair. He feared Esther had caused too much damage. Was he still hallucinating? Was this even reality? He grit his teeth, jaw line clenching, his eyes watering with frustration but still the scent wafted to him and he drank it in like a drug addict suffering from withdrawal.

_Now this is torture._ Elijah growled at himself inside, his fingers tingling to project the woman to who the scent belonged before him, to touch her.

He felt as if he would sob but then his heart stopped abrupt.

A timid murmur snapped into his ears and then a rustle, but Elijah forced himself to block the sound regardless to the fact that he could recognise that frequency anywhere. He simply felt this was another sign of madness.

Yet unaware to him...a metre and a half away, lay his bespoke brand of antidote...


	2. Impulse

Impulse

Hayley mumbled in irritation as she felt herself awaken, a sharp pain dinging into her side and causing her to wince slightly. Her feet then hit some wall and she jolted a little realising she was laying face flat on the stone ground, her soft hair splayed annoyingly around her face. She struggled around a little, her heated cheek rolling onto the cool surface. As she moved the pain at her hip sank in deeper.

_Shouldn't that heal or something?_ she thought confused to herself and noted to ask Klaus later on.

_If there is a later on_. She then huffed, eyes still closed. She'd set off to save someone and here she was captured herself._ Great._ She muttered to herself sardonically while clutching her forehead with her hand drunkenly. She still felt a little delusional and she couldn't help but feel a little pathetic either. Her heart then sunk a little thinking about Elijah. She knew something was very wrong, it was gut instinct. Her face saddened. She knew if the roles were reversed, he would have found her by now. He always did.

A pain then intensified inside her.

She was beginning to learn Hybrids were not exactly invincible. Sometimes just her feelings got so bad that she felt that alone was enough to disarm her. She grew sombre for a second as memories of Hope sang their way through her heart...but no. She wasn't having any of that in this moment and so she gritted her teeth, blinking and attempted to sit up dragging herself against the wall, feeling it with her hands so now she could lean back on it for support.

"Idiots." Hayley then hissed, her lips pursed, she licked them lightly, at least that cut had healed.

"At least remember to tie up your prisoners." she then sarcastically mocked in her head stroking around her wrist but then the soreness in her side shot back again and she was forced to acknowledge karma. "Well karma's coming right back for you too bitch." She snarled internally but then winced again.

_This physical pain is just a joke now_. She then grumbled inside and cursed Esther and her stupid witch disciples several times, who she realised had probably hexed her or something. She then thought about where Marcel was now and the new baby vampire, _what was her name again? Gia._ Maybe they had been more successful with Elijah?_ Who knows what his freakish mother has been doing to him?_ she considered angrily and painfully. Regardless of not exactly being on friendly terms with either Marcel or the newborn, she realised, she really wished they had.

However Hayley still couldn't stop herself from thinking about how she had walked in on Elijah's "training session" with the baby vamp. She narrowed her eyes recalling his tense hands on her, their astonishingly close position and that look... Hayley shook her head trying to brush off the image in her mind. She was hot, she'd give her that but Hayley had discovered her blood had simmered with jealousy regardless of whether she had wanted it to or not. _He's never touched me like that..._ her thoughts trailed but then Hayley scolded herself firmly.

She had come to a decision. She'll save his ass first and then deal with that malarkey later. Her feelings about him were a more threatening challenge on her to do list but right now she was prioritising just getting him back.

_Thinking of? Where have they taken me?_ she speculated and then her eyes widened. _What if someone else is in here?_ she thought and crept into her hide out deeper.

_Screw this darkness_. She then hissed to herself peering into the thick blackness. She couldn't see a thing.

Suddenly however she heard a low rattle of what seemed like chains. Her eyes widened and her instincts grew alert, the previous bafflement she had been experiencing slowly being washed away. If she couldn't see she could hear right? She remembered Klaus's instructions about the whole hybrid senses things and then tried to replicate what she had done before. Just as she cupped her ears however she was met by the sound of an even louder rattle followed by several groans and hisses and murmurs and realised hybrid hearing was not necessary.

_Elijah?_ she whispered to herself softly.

...


	3. My Heart Knows Your Name

My Heart Knows Your Name

Elijah's hazel brown but strained eyes flashed open fiercely. The chains rattled with a force and he groaned. Now that for sure was no hallucination._ Was it?_ he thought, still torn in two parts of his brain. Hayley's scent still continued to float around him and as much as he was trying to concentrate it would not disappear. He felt as if he could melt inside it despite the complications of their relationship at present. _Was this a new form of his mother's torture? But then what with Tatia?_

He hissed with exasperation. _Maybe she has read my thoughts on Hayley?_ he considered methodically, for he recalled how his memories of Hayley had attempted to seep through his mother's compulsion on several occasions and had even succeeded on some part before she had turned her torture up a notch.

_But why this?_ Elijah sighed and murmured taking a deep breath of the sweet air to sooth some of the anguish.

However, being faced with this atmosphere was forcing him to think of Hayley constantly now and as much as it reminded him of their most precious memories, he found it was paining him terribly. He had given himself the choice of dealing with the physical pain of his suspension or the emotional anguish that came with thinking of Hayley several times now and as much as he tried to revert his choice with his systematic manner, his heart always chose her name. So here grew an endless cycle and every time the outcome was unchanged.

He recalled their recent encounters and his entire being grew sombre. If only she knew how difficult it was proving to keep up his arguments with her. He muttered to himself thinking about their several clashes of snide and snarky remarks. Each time he walked away with a mastered confidence only to diminish with a deep sigh and teeth clenching gulp. It stung him to no longer see the softness in her eyes towards him. This sight had been replaced with a fierce look and it killed him to even accept she no longer felt towards him what she had so remarkably somehow felt before. He scolded himself harshly for such selfish thoughts now and then tugged on the chains in an attempt to be distracted.

But that scent, that scent still lingered in the air now. It was too nostalgic and he groaned again in agony.

_She's stronger now._ He told himself firmly, pleading with himself to get a grip feeling that if he somehow accepted her absence, came at peace with this pathetic desperate longing, the mystical scent would cease. The problem was that he could not and that fact that he could not was something he did not want to believe.

If he wasn't mad now, Elijah concluded that he soon would be. He sighed deeply succumbing to the aches and pains again, repeating the cycle yet another time but this time there was a change...

Elijah heard the resonance of his name fly from the depth of this burial vault and enter his ears and this time he swore it was real for sure. His heart thudded powerfully because of course he had recognised it and if he was right someone was here, someone was in this room alive and breathing and that someone was Hayley.

He felt beads of perspiration lick at forehead and opened his mouth to speak with a hesitant tone.

"Hayley?" he spoke as if he couldn't believe it were possible.

That was when Hayley felt her entire self suddenly sigh. Her heart pattered wildly.

_It's him._ She thought flooding with a relief and on impulse began scuttling to her feet without sight not caring in the world of the dangers that may be in the dark.

"Elijah?" she called back loudly.


	4. Seeing Blind

Seeing Blind

Elijah's eyes latched on to her the instant she stumbled into view.

While his heart immediately melted it as equally as quick fizzed with a worry, something was wrong.

Hayley faltered following the sound of his voice using her hands to wave away the invisible obstructions she felt was around her.

"Why the hell is it so dark?" she murmured angrily and Elijah lurched forwards full force, the sharp sound of the chains causing Hayley to lose her concentration and freeze. She was walking into a shelf full of candles and despite considering her hybrid healing capabilities the thought of any harm coming to her in his mother's hexed den made his pulse quicken.

"Stop. Don't move." Elijah spoke unable to hide the worry in his tone. He cursed at the restraints.

Hayley's face displayed a confused expression.

"It's not dark." Elijah replied breaking each word in order to his explain except his voice dry and coarse.

Hayley noticed this and began imagining the state he was in but then brushed the thought aside several questions forming in her mind.

"What do you mean?" she breathed perplexed.

Elijah on the other hand knew the curse well. "You're suffering the effects of a temporary blinding curse. I believe it is one of my mother's favourites." He explained with a hint of disgust on recalling its use by his mother in the past.

"What?" Hayley shook a little, now that she was aware of the blindness her disorientation had increased.

"Hayley stay still." Elijah croaked, the chains rattling uselessly.

"Blind!" Hayley called out angrily, the Mikaelson mother was really pushing her way up her "To Kill" list now.

Elijah felt the urge to roll his eyes, his lips almost even curled into a smile. She never failed to amuse him, even in times of despair. Also, the fact that she could not see him meant he did not have to hide it.

"Temporary." He replied in a one worded response and before she had the opportunity to curse or complain Elijah spoke again.

"Take a quarter of a turn to your left." He then spoke his voice had found his cool composure and he refused to accept it was her familiar face blocking all his pain receptors.

Hayley took in the instruction, her thoughts gliding over to "Mentor Elijah" for the slightest second and then returning to complete the action he had described. Elijah wondered what she was thinking about his eyes narrowing slightly, observing her with detail.

"Good. Now take around ten or so step forwards." He spoke watching her carefully as she obliged.

She was nearing him now and his heart quickened a little as her pace was faster than her average one that he had expected meaning ten steps was a few too much. Unknown to him this was as Hayley unconsciously anxiously wished to get to him knowing that despite sounding okay he probably was not.

She sort of lost count of the steps but maintained the direction causing herself to near him more closely. She then grew confused, reaching out her arm to guide herself but instead of reaching out into a void found her hand flat upon something warm and smooth.

Before Elijah could warn her of his error he felt her touch and something inside him softened. He looked down at her hand which was flatly pressed against his bare stomach and then his eyes trailed curiously to her expression. Despite the cuts he forced himself not to hiss, not to make a sound that would startle her. Her touch was magic and her scent now wrapped him entirely.

Hayley eyes widened as she realised what she had done. She felt her pulse quicken and blood rush to her cheeks as she realised she had held her hand in place for longer that the situation required. Her eyes flickered sideways and she held the hand with her free one a little nervously and then placed them both at her sides.

Elijah's eyes glinted; he found he couldn't stop himself from being a touch amused.

Hayley struggled with what to say, she was currently blind so couldn't exactly opt for the "Let's get out of here." She had planned. As she thought her eyebrows then furrowed.

"Elijah how did you know it was me?" she asked realising now that he had called her name before she had left her hiding place.

Elijah damped his lips at her unexpected question. He had thought she would ask about Esther who he was worried would walk in any second.

He then thought about how to phrase an acceptable answer for her actual question but in the midst of such an unanticipated turn of events failed.

"Your scent." He breathe and it almost grew in the air as he mentioned it.

Hayley fought to not give away her fluttering heart and flushes but she knew she was failing. She knew he was watching her and her lips after a few seconds formed a pout her eyes growing that tiny bit fiercer.

"How long does this take to wear off?" She then asked frustrated swiftly changing the subject.

"How long have you been here?" he replied and then interrupting her added, "And what may I ask are you doing here in the first place."

Hayley huffed.

"I don't exactly know Marcel and your baby vamp trainee and I split directions, I don't know where they are, I ended up here, nabbed by one of your mother's witchy rebels." She explained and Elijah noticed her emphasis on the mentioning of who he assumed to be "his" Gia.

He narrowed his eyes on noticing her angered expression trying to fathom what was swirling about in her mind. He recalled her expression on finding him with his student and began to think.

"Please tell me this isn't some sort of rescue mission." He spoke firmly hiding his underlying thoughts.

"Did you think we'd just leave you here?" Hayley spoke out and in her opinion slightly too soon.

"Hayley my Mother is capable of –" Elijah began but was cut off.

"What has she done to you...?" Hayley had breathed softly, her sensing were coming into better play now and she could smell his blood, her stomach clenching and knowing if his healing was this slow his state must be dreadful. She looked into the dark trying to picture where and how he was.

"Hayley..." Elijah softly spoke to her trying to make her aware of the danger she was in.

"Elijah your mother's minions brought me here, so it's pretty much certain she knows I'm here." She spoke abruptly not wanting to hear another word about her safety in his tone again.

"Entirely correct." Elijah replied. "But have you wondered _why_ you're here?" Elijah pressed the words to make her think.

She was right, but then if Esther knew she was here what did she want her for?

Something in Elijah's mind suddenly clicked. _ T_a_tia, Hayley, what if she required Hayley to sever the empowerment somehow._ His heart rates quickened and Hayley heard. His mother was hell bent on this "purification process" and he knew she was the determined sort.

"What? What is it?" Hayley asked instinctively taking a step forwards.

But before he could answer question she was distracted by herself. She felt the darkness in front of her whirl and fuzz. Elijah's own attention locked onto her also.

Hayley blinked repeatedly as colour swirled into world and the golden blur before her began to grow more and more distinct.

Her vision was returning.


	5. Realisation

Realisation

"Hayley?" Elijah spoke concerned as he watched her blinking and adjusting to the brightness of the numerous strongly burning candles flames which swayed around them.

"The curse must be fading." He breathed slowly watching her carefully. She always managed to capture his entire focus. There was always an awe about her, Elijah began to muse but bowed his head in an effort to prevent himself into drifting deeper into such thoughts.

Hayley murmured softly due to the light flooding into her view and then whined with annoyance of its intensity and after that Elijah knew she was fine. That was her signature grumble. His chest sighed with relief as she rubbed her eyes lightly.

The sharpness of colour was dulling beneath her eyelids and the hue of yellow softened so that it no longer pained her.

After pausing for a few seconds for good measure Hayley then finally opened her eyes, her lashes fluttering faintly.

Her eyes grew in size when she saw him directly before her as he always had been.

They rapidly raked over him, every cut, bruise, the shackles smothered with blood. It was worse than what she had imagined.

Her heart felt a vicious stab and she gulped feeling emotions within her lunge forth from wherever they had been hiding.

In that second Hayley lost the self control she'd been desperately latching onto around him. Her body moved forwards without her mind telling to and her hand reached out to his face before she could stop it. She placed her hand at the side of his jaw causing him to look up at her with a piercing but gentle gaze. She didn't look away and inside Elijah wondered, why not?

His heart thudded steadily but with an increased force as he registered her treasured touch, they could both hear it and he saw her eyes spark as she noticed the change herself. Hayley traced his jaw line and then placed her palm at the side of his face. He involuntarily sighed closing his eyes and found himself leaning against her hand. He discovered exactly how much he'd missed her contact.

"I need to get you out of here." Hayley then breathed her expression sombre her voice hiding hints of desperation. She snatched her hand back returning it to her side as she quickly backed away turning around to conceal the feelings she for a second had let seep through.

"Hayley." Elijah spoke, he knew it wasn't possible for him to escape, he'd tried several times already and every attempt had been met with failure.

"Elijah I got you into this mess." Hayley snapped angrily still faced away from him and then she spun around, the defensive side of her was back, she had managed to repress that side of herself which had made a glimpse of an appearance.

"And I'm going to get you out." She spoke determined finishing her sentence.

Elijah looked at her firmly, angrily even. Is that what this was? Suddenly things began to make some sense.

"So that's why she came." Elijah swallowed trying to not let it bother him.

_She's blaming herself for the capture and so felt obligated to be the one to save me._ His calculating mind concluded.

"My mother would have got her way regardless of the scenario." Elijah replied disappointed that she should feel this way but Hayley wasn't listening, she searched about the vault strategically trying to come up with a plan.

Elijah watched her knowing it was no use but not speaking a word because he knew she wasn't the sort to take no for an answer. He then found his head beginning to feel heavy once again and it throbbed rather powerfully causing him to huff. The spell Esther had put on him was still continuing it's work.

Hayley looked up from where she was crouched.

"Elijah?" she called to him worriedly.

"I'm fine." He groaned lightly but then sharply with agony his teeth clenching tight and the muscles of his bare torso tensing rigid. Witch markings flashed in front of his view and he cried out in anguish.

Hayley was at his side in a second and placed both her hands on either side of his face and holding him up.

"Elijah." She called to him shaking him slightly, her eyes washing over his with a fear so great. Hayley realised just how much his safety meant to her, she'd never felt it this badly before. She'd never really thought about losing him before. He'd always taken care of himself.

_I was wrong._ She thought thinking of what she had told Gia. She'd just wanted to believe that.

"Elijah." Hayley called again firmly now but he would not reply, his head hung slumped against his shoulder leaving Hayley to panic.


	6. Care & Conversation

Care & Conversation

Hayley growled at herself inside angrily. _This is no time to panic_. She told herself harshly her gaze locked onto unconscious Elijah.

After a few seconds Hayley's instincts then began to take over, her eyes flashing towards the rocky ceiling above them, the uncontrollable beat in her heart was driving her on. She reached out feeling the chain shaking it, then tugging it. One thought swiftly leading to another.

"Okay, so I'm hybrid now." She spoke to herself breathing more heavily as she wrapped part of the chain around her four fingers and then grasped the metal hard forming a firm grip. The pain in her side had miraculously disappeared now and she felt herself open to the power of her new form.

_This vault is ancient the ceiling can't be that strong._ she calculated forming the angle where the cracks from Elijah's previous attempts were most distinct. From his position Elijah was right, breaking the chain was impossible. But Hayley considered her own angle and the hybrid strength and then ground her teeth and narrowed her eyes resolute that she could do this.

After a short countdown to herself she then wrenched the horrid contraption with all her might her eyes glowing a golden yellow as her supernatural side flooded her with the strength she was in need of. At first there was little sign of success but as Hayley loosened her grip her accentuated hearing caught sound of one little crack spreading and speeding through the surface.

Hayley then gripped the chain tight and pulled once again until the bolt hold sprung free releasing Elijah's let arm. Now that she knew it was possible freeing the second hold was not as difficult and she accomplished the task speeding over to Elijah before he hit the ground.

"Hey.." she called to him positioning him again the wall and stroking the side of his oh so perfect cheek. She observed his face now and it hit her how much she missed him.

Hayley looked around the room while crouching near him and recalled the jug of water she had seen during her search. She then rushed over to retrieve it vamp speed before returning to his side. She placed the jug next to them sliding her hand over his bare chest to feel his heart beat, that provided her with some peace. She then observed him closely refusing to remove her hand. He was a mess but still flawless. _How can anyone be so striking after being battered and tortured._ She thought.

As these thoughts crossed her mind, Elijah grumbled and Hayley hastily removed her hand reaching for the jug. As soon as his eyes opened he jolted by the change of scene, Hayley grasped his arm to reassure him and on feeling her touch all felt right.

"Hayley." He murmured shuffling to pull himself.

"Drink this." Hayley replied to him firmly bringing the jug to his slips. He did so without questioning and then grasping the jug with both hands from her and gulped every drop dry.

"Forgive me." He then replied and Hayley couldn't help but internally eye role.

As he wiped his lips with the back of his hand, Hayley took a seat next to him leaning her head against the wall and closing her eyes.

Elijah took a look at the trailing chains and then turned towards her.

"Yep. Hybrid, werewolf temper." She replied nodding with her eyes still closed.

Elijah smiled while Hayley's eyes were shut. It was a genuine smile and he couldn't recall the last time they'd had light hearted conversation. It was always so tense, he'd even chosen to leave the compound to prevent such painful encounters.

Elijah then recalled the last time Hayley had spoke those words and his eyes lowered. Hayley's position remained unchanged but she wondered if he was thinking about her bath antic too.

"What was that?" Hayley then asked turning towards him, a confused look upon her face.

Elijah looked at her confused his drifting mind returning to here and now.

"You were totally knocked out." She replied.

Elijah leaned his head back against the wall as she had.

"My mother wishes to purify me." He announced.

Hayley's eyebrows furrowed.

"She's been in my head." He then hissed stroking his forehead.

Hayley did not speak in the hope that he would continue.

"When our family first settled here, there was a girl named Tatia, she was an exquisite beauty. Every boy of age desired to be her suitor, even though she'd had a child by another man. And none loved her more than Niklaus." He spoke and Hayley's interest heightened. How had she not heard of this before?

"My mother wishes to use this girl in her attempts to cleanse me." He spoke and then stopped abrupt.

"So you loved her too..." Hayley asked picking up on the signs.

Elijah turned to looked at her surprised by her interest and perception.

"It was complicated and I dare say a long time ago." Elijah replied coolly.

"It was Tatia's blood which my mother used to change us into the cursed being that I now am."

"The monster." He spoke and Hayley's stomach clenched, her eyes lowering.

The tension between them began to grow.

"Elijah why did you leave the compound?" The words were out of Hayley's mouth before she could prevent them from escaping and in a snappish tone too.

Elijah's eyes narrowed at her behaviour but he answered nonetheless.

"I believed I would be of better use elsewhere. The vampire community needed assistance and as a duty to my kind like your duty to your pack drove me to make the decision." He answered rather diplomatically.

Hayley pursed her lips at this answer recalling how he had spoken of her "beasts" being "a little much."

"Elijah I brought the werewolves back because they are my people. They needed me." She explained not seeing why he refused to understand.

Of course Elijah understood all too well, for he was the one who had suggested Klaus take her to her people. He was currently just testing her state.

He internally admired the strength of her answer, he was glad being with her people had had a positive effect.

Elijah then made an attempt to rise, remembering his decision about Hayley about giving her the space she required, keeping a distance not encouraging affection. However, being in no condition to successfully do so, caused Hayley to grasp his arm. He could barely sit up, let alone walk about the place.

Yet as Hayley grasped him her urge to speak was swatted away and met by an image. Elijah's realised what was about to occur but it was too late. The mind link was open.


	7. Unearthly Connection

Unearthly Connection

Hayley's open mouth found itself slowly shutting and she closed her eyes letting the energy elasticise and wrap around her own. Elijah had initially sharply turned towards her, taken by a heightened sense of fear but he gazed now at her hands tightly gripping his arm and at the expression of curiosity and surprise and confusion painted upon her pleasing face and he found he couldn't stop staring. He watched her intently, softly, his heard padding in his chest steadily as she began to see.

Hayley's throat began to feel dry and her forehead creased. The image had flashed so quickly into her mind. Elijah with Klaus, they were talking about her.

When is this from? she wondered as Elijah began to speak.

"Niklaus! The mother of your child deserves much better than just fine! You'll take her to the Bayou. Find any remaining wolves. Perhaps her people can reach her. Now, more than ever, she needs a connection to something, some of her humanity. Some degree of dignity." Elijah spoke inside her head.

He told Klaus to take me into the Bayou. Her mind swirled with shock and she then felt the sudden urge to slap him. Hayley then recalled the last time she had done so and unaware to her Elijah's eyes narrowed slightly amused. He wondered how and if she knew this was a two way thing.

Could she have projection capabilities? Elijah wondered but soon was distracted.

All this freaking arguing about the wolves. Hayley hissed to herself now and their sassy encounter flared into her mind. Before she could snap away however, she found herself swimming to another memory.

The mentioning of wolves had caused Elijah to think of the bayou, the countless times he had gazed at her laughing or chatting along with her pack. Sometimes she had been kindling a fire or walking across from a dying one unable to sleep at night. Hayley saw herself rub her upper arm gently against the cold and found she was getting goose bumps in the presence. This was surreal.

She then caught a flash of every time he had snuck off to see that she was well. That was the excuse of course; in reality he had just simply missed her. However Elijah's nerves made the images swish leaving Hayley to only properly catch one moment in particular.

"You don't need to keep coming out. I'd tell you if something was wrong. But she's doing okay. The girl has a natural gift for leading. She surprised everyone." Eve spoke, a soft smile upon her familiar face.

Elijah smiled a genuine smile. "Not everyone." He replied firmly.

"Do you want to join us?" Eve then asked.

Elijah paused for a second staring at the ground and the directly at Hayley.

"What I want Is for that girl to be happy."

"Don't tell her I was here." He then spoke more sombre and was gone.

Hayley felt her heart sink; her tight grip around Elijah's arm became more tender naturally.

She couldn't believe these things she was seeing.

Her brain felt like burning ice and no words could escape her lips. She wanted to see more.

Elijah felt the memory cool in his head and despite being enticed by the opportunity to see her thoughts; he was glad that this was over. He didn't know why but he was terrified with the thought of her seeing any more. He was never open with is emotions, he simply did not let people in, enough was enough.

Nevertheless he then abruptly felt an impulse within his mind and his heart quickened. It finally hit him, this was no ordinary mind link for he was not in control. Mother... he growled inside realising that her witchy tests must be the source of this crazed connection. He grew more worried knowing not of how to stop it. It was some sort of manifestation.

Hayley's eyes widened as the next imaged flooded her view.

Esther in Lenore's form in this very room and her face drained of colour. She wanted to wince as she heard Elijah's groans of agony but was afraid it'd somehow break the link. She knew how Elijah was with these things and she found she didn't want him to let go. Hayley sensed his pain somehow from the power of the connection and it was making her hands clammy. She swallowed watching the torture unfold in front of her as Elijah's watched on in the present with horror.

He then snatched his hand from her grasp, turning away roughly to clasp his sweating forehead. Recalling it reminded him of the several bruises which now bore his skin in the present. He was healing but at snail's pace.

He also however was forcing himself to not face Hayley whose eyes flickered open disappointed, her mouth forming a slight plump pout. She knew he was attempting to conceal whatever it was that he was hiding in that mind of his and her body now racked with a raw feeling to know. She wanted to know. She had to know.

Her hand gently slid over his and Elijah noticed what she was doing. He turned towards her slowly his face pleading with her to not. Hayley thought of the time she had touched him similarly in his car and this thought entered Elijah's mind causing it to melt briefly.

Though, still he shook his head authoritatively trying to muster his usual persona but Hayley had already seen enough to notice the cracks in his facade. Things were starting to make some sense. Elijah felt her touch dance over his fingers as her own wrapped around his. He found that although he was still shaking his head, his heart stubbornly strained to release these hidden thoughts.

"It's the pain Elijah." Hayley whispered to him.

"That's what's stopping you from healing from whatever spell your mother's put onto you." She spoke gently because all his memories so far had been painful.

"Show me." She then told him and he remembered how she didn't know he wasn't in control of the link.

It opened unwillingly exactly after this thought.

The rush of thoughts that cascaded into Hayley minds at such a force would be frightening for any eye to see. They flew by so fast she could barely make out what was going on. She saw several glimpses of the past including Elijah, Klaus and Rebekah as children. She then realised from hearing the drumming of Elijah's hard that the speed was because he was fearful and her fingers automatically soothed his. This slowed down the thought process a little and brought her to one memory.

Her touched had caused him to think of her and so a specific memory was selected.

Hayley saw Elijah in a bloodied battered suit. He was standing in the cemetery, not at all far from where they were now. She had recognised this vault the minute her vision had returned. How could she not? This was where they met..

In the memory Klaus stood away from Elijah his face darkened with gloom.

Hayley's eyebrows furrowed. The scene looked familiar.

To her right Elijah filled up with terror.

No! Elijah thought in his mind not wanting to relive the nightmare of a memory and certainly not wanting to live it in front of Hayley.

"No..." he breathed aloud this time but there was no way he could get it to stop. Whatever his mother had done to him, he was barely in control of his body; an Originals body, influenced by who know what dark charms and tricks.

"Hayley." He spoke firmly now and she opened her eyes on hearing the drastic change of tone.

"Please." He asked her genuinely and she nodded letting go his hand. Regardless of her longing she respected him enough to stop.

He placed his head back against the wall and sighed, his chest heaving and she watched over him a million feelings bursting in her heart.

They sat apart now, not touching but still Hayley's eyes glimmered... her mind still swirled...

The was still a scene of unseen left to see.


	8. Captured Hearts

Captured Hearts

Hayley knew where she recognised the image from now. It had taken her long because it was a day she kept under bolt and key in the darkest depths of her mind. The day her daughter was born and the day she herself had died all rolled into twenty four hours of complete madness. She calculated this memory must have been from after her death and felt a sick, nauseous feeling churning in the pit of her stomach.

She realised now she didn't wish to see, she didn't want to know it was real, that these events had occurred while she was dead. She thought about the short dull word now.

_Dead._

It only reminded her of her loss. Not only the loss of her child but of a part of herself, a huge part that rang through her like an invisible whole. She had been doing a better job at hiding it for the last few days, revelling in witch hunts or spitting flaming remarks. The anger just fizzled off her even if she hadn't wanted it to. It's like she felt that was all she could face feeling right now. Anger.

But as the events unfolded in front of her, like from the minute she had set off on her mission to save Elijah, other feelings began boiling inside her, pushing off their lids and reaching out of her.

_"I let her in."_ Elijah's voice sang through her soul looping around it and engulfing her like an echo.

_"I don't let people in."_ She heard the next line but this time the cracks and creak in Elijah's voice waded their way through her hard shelled heart, which in turn began cracking like a hatchling egg.

_The look on his face..._ Hayley could almost feel what he was feeling by some greater, darker power; she felt her temperature rise as the intense suffocating feeling swam through her.

Her eyes burned like the candles she was being bathed by. She was fighting very hard to hold onto the saline drops pushing their way over the contours of her waterline, the soft kohl of her eyeliner smudging from the early effect.

She blinked.

A droplet was wrenched from her lashes by the force of feeling and fell hurtling down her heated cheek. She did not move in fear Elijah would see her.

_"You knew this. You've taken her from me!"_ Elijah's voice then rang out into her ears and watching him like this, so omnisciently, she struggled to believe that she was the "she" he was speaking of.

Her body tensed with a heartfelt ache and she didn't know what hurt her more, hearing his words or thinking about how she believed his feelings had changed in the present.

_"I needed her, and you've broken me."_ His tenor wavered and sighed with the deepest sense of loss and then Hayley could take it no longer. She let out an involuntarily sob, several more tears pardoned from her glistening eyes. The shell around her heart lay in clusters around her vulnerability of emotion and as much as she wished she had stayed strong and fought it somehow she knew she would not have succeeded however hard she had tried. Not in this moment, not in this place, not with him.

The sigh in his voice felt like it had lasted so long but eventually it melted from her ears and she felt whatever has caused the projection lift away from her but only to leave her feeling broken, so very broken.

Elijah heard her immediately and he pushed his head off the surface and faced her, his chains rattling with him as he turned himself towards her with a face full of genuine concern.

"Hayley..?" he croaked wanting to touch her but the shackles were preventing him to do so without clattering.

His eyes locked onto her like she was the only thing in his gaze, the entire room vanished.

He thought about asking her what was wrong but it sounded so pathetic in his mind and he thought of his previous failures in attempting to comfort her.

Instead he waited for her, giving her time, letting her adjust.

Hayley sobbed and Elijah felt like each sound was a blow to the heart, he hated seeing her in any sort of pain.

"I'm fine, I'm okay Elijah." She sobbed against tracing the line of her eye and looking towards the ceiling as if to douse back the tears.

Elijah knew she wasn't and Hayley knew why he wasn't speaking.

_Because I'm an idiot that's why._ She sobbed internally but beginning to look more herself on the front. She'd settled immediately that she wouldn't tell him, she wouldn't tell him what she had seen. She had seen his face when the image had appeared, the terror behind his authoritative expression.

_God no_. She told herself firmly vowing to not put him through it because it was even more prominent now, his self sacrificing nature, his inability to let people in for his own happiness.

Hayley felt like she would sob again but she caught that look in his eye as she curled a messy lock around her ear. The look was nostalgic, she felt she hadn't seen it for years but unaware to Hayley the look had never left Elijah's face. It was always there, she'd just forgotten how to see it.

"What is that look?" she then blurted in her tone of annoyance covering her urge and desperation to know the answer. Elijah's face relaxed a little, he was glad to hear her speak even if her tone was of irritation. He'd choose it over hearing her cry a thousand times over.

Elijah then observed her confused, unable to answer her question. He recalled her speaking to him in the nursery.

_"I saw the way you looked at me then and I see the way you look at me now..."_ her broken voice called out to him as he drank in her question but he brushed the thought of that night aside.

It had hurt him to hear those words, to hear that she could even assume his feelings would change so easily but of course he had thought hers had and of course in the name of nobility he would strike down his heart if it meant she was happier.

Hayley now looked at him directly, a straight and strong look and Elijah returned her gaze searching in her eyes for exactly what she was searching for in his and then there they both sat, staring into the faces of each other with a million questions and a million answers but with captured hearts and still no release.


	9. The Attraction of Blood

The Attraction of Blood

Eventually they were both forced to break eye contact and their eyes scuttled towards the ground proving the tension between them had got too much.

Elijah had not asked her why she had suddenly burst into a fit of sobs and Hayley was glad that he had not for she herself had not currently come up with a good enough answer.

"How are we going to get out of here?" she had murmured to break the ice because that was something quite important right now and despite Elijah being free from that awful contraption he was not in a fit state.

She shuffled to her feet taking a deep breath or two to dissipate the strain and walked towards what normally would be their exit. She had glanced at Elijah just before to make sure he didn't decide to be all chivalrous while looking half dead and he had very appropriate decided to not move a muscle.

Though, his head had tilted towards her with a piercing gaze as she had placed a hand forth gently testing the boundaries of their prison. They both knew all too well that Esther must have charmed the exits. Hayley could sense the force field at the tip of her fingers. She sighed and turned around on her heel to return back to Elijah, the colour on his face was draining and inside she was scared for him.

"You shouldn't have come." He spoke, the power his voice normally held decreasing.

"Shut up." Hayley had silenced him right after despite feeling pretty useless herself. She was supposed to save him and she wasn't doing a very good job.

Suddenly however a thought crossed her mind. There was something she could do.

"Elijah, when was the last time you...fed?" she asked softly and his head stirred.

She realised she didn't need an answer.

_Damn couldn't his mother who for one second had been all I want to save our family at least hand him a blood bag?_ she hissed inside.

Hayley had decided she was done with Esther and wouldn't be thinking about any deals with her for a long while.

She's rolled up her sleeve a little more and then bit into her wrist offering it to The Original.

Elijah tilted his head.

"Don't you dare get all Mr Gallantry on me." Hayley spoke to him firmly and he knew it wasn't worth disputing. And anyway, he could smell her blood now and despite only tasting it once before he found he recalled the smell perfectly and the taste...the taste...that was beyond words.

The thick maroon liquid that was dripping from her veins was enough to drive him into madness again and as Hayley now brought it to his lips his hands slid around her arm.

Hayley tried not to gasp at his sensual touch. _It's just the blood._ She told herself but it really didn't seem so when his lips kissed her skin. She felt him drink from her and the feeling was immense. _Am I supposed to feel this way? _She wondered as a gasp escaped her mouth and she closed her eyes in a strange sort of speechless bliss.

Elijah murmured against her wrist, each drop fuelling him, making him feel himself again. He could hear her increased heart beat and now wondered if she felt it too.

Blood sharing was intimate and he now mused if she knew that.

After a little while however, Elijah forced himself to stop yet he knew now that if there ever was substance that could make him feel weak at his knees with infatuation, he would be sure it came from the veins of the woman before him.

Hayley's eyes lay firmly upon him as he drew away from her wrist which automatically began to heal. Her blood was on his lips and for some reason that intensified the attraction she tried so hard to deny.

Hayley found herself imagining...

Their faces were so close now, she could feel his breath. She tried to control the heart she was so angry at for risking giving away these so very thoughts, so many times, in just one day.

Hayley found herself imagining what it would be like to kiss him.

Elijah licked his lips light unable to deny himself those last few drops. He met her stare and narrowed his gaze a little questioningly. She was so close to him, so very close, her features flashing into his face and brightening his view. He damped his lips and it looked as if for a second she was fighting to bite hers. Elijah moved forwards in order to sit up in turn nearing her and her head moved back maintaining the same ratio of closeness.

He wanted to kiss her. He couldn't deny it. It was a lie too big.

But accepting he wanted to and actually doing what he wished didn't come with a fine line in his book. He found himself wondering if she had even thought about it? Even for a second.

_Of course not..._ he then spoke internally, disappointed with his selfish assumptions.

_If she wanted something, then she'd take it._ Elijah decided in his mind and then found himself wishing really really hard that she did, that she would...


	10. Escape

Escape

It didn't happen.

The two broke apart like the snapping of a twig and then in their so routinely style began searching for the available distractions. The texture of the floor, how far the candles had burned, the look of the evening sky by which from their little glimpse of the outside world looked as if was stretching far out now. They both wondered how much time had passed and Elijah added on an extra chuck to his estimate knowing the presence of Hayley meant it had gone faster.

Both however also were struggling to avoid the fact that they had considered...

They had considered something that just this morning they had felt was entirely impossible.

It still lingered in their minds and even now as their pulses rested and they grew more safe an idea had been planted and sometimes an idea was all it took. For what is more difficult that trying to destroy an idea once it has been formed?

"Thank you." Elijah replied being the first this time to break the silence and in turn causing Hayley to turn to him. Before she couldn't reply however her eyes fell towards Elijah's chest.

He was flexing his fingers and that was when Hayley noticed for sure, the cut sliced across his stomach had fully healed. Her eyes widened pleased by this site of recovery and Elijah looked down to see what she was looking at.

"What is it?" he asked and then realised.

He hadn't even felt it. The cut really was no longer there. He suddenly jolted inspecting his several other injuries. They were all healed.

In less than a second Elijah began clasped the shackle at his wrist, bending and twisting the metal apart in just the correct angle so that his hand slipped free. Hayley watched him them skilfully repeat the procedure upon his other wrist and then as he stroked the healing bruises sighing.

"Shackle free." She spoke surprised at how quick he had managed that. She had a lot of learning to do despite her hybrid add-ons and then Elijah caught her attention.

"Hayley." Elijah turned to her pausing before speaking.

"I believe your blood maybe have a wider range of healing capabilities." He wondered aloud.

Hayley displayed a confused expression.

"Have you yet explored your new abilities?" he asked sitting up more easily now, strength had returned to his movement. He sounded like a teacher questioning a student about something they expected should be done and she found the tone annoyed her.

"Not entirely." She replied. Klaus had taught her some basics about the senses and snapping a neck or two had never been a problem to her being a werewolf but she was beginning to realise there was so much more.

Elijah opened his mouth to speak but then was halted.

"Maybe if you hadn't run off from the compound and offered to teach me it I would have." The comment was sharp and snarky and out of her mouth before she knew it.

Hayley cursed. _What was I thinking?_ she yelled at herself.

Elijah looked at her perplexed and taken a back with surprise. His considered her comment and noticed the sulking tone. If they weren't being so rigid with each other lately he could have sworn she would pout.

He then recalled her comment about Gia before and mused. _Surely she isn't..?_

"Is this something to do with my new post?" he spoke and his sarcastic tone had returned and Hayley tried to tell herself she hadn't missed it. His eyes had that glint again and it was a killer but she was still in mordant sort of mood.

_No Hayley no_. She told herself firmly.

_He has ignored you for several days secretly passing on instructions to do with you to his little brother behind your back, pretended that the werewolves were a bother out of some self sacrificing ridicule and then has left the compound altogether only to be found dance-touch-combat training with a hot new baby vamp who looks half in love with him already!_

But just as she ran this through her mind there was a great clang from the outdoors and both Hayley and Elijah dropped the thoughts of their current exchange of sass, the bells of escape now ringing in their ears.

The both got to their feet walking towards the exit.

"It's Marcel and Gia." Elijah breathed peering out into the distance.

"Speak of the devil." Hayley muttered under her breath and then thanked the lord Elijah was too busy listening.

Unknown to however he heard, he heard and was still hearing in while Marcel and Gia rushed to the archway.

"Elijah!" "Hayley." Gia and Marcel called respectively but their attention snapped onto those who had not called their name.

"Where's Klaus?" Hayley asked swiftly.

"No clue. Last I heard he was busy with Mikael. I gotta call from Cami." Marcel answered swiftly.

"And Oliver?" she then enquired.

"With Jackson." He answered and Elijah's head slightly turned.

"Come on, hurry, we gotta go." Marcel then called as Gia poured something across the entrance line causing the boundary spell to be broken.

Hayley and Elijah stepped outside both taking deep breaths of the air it felt good to feel it on their faces again.

They then strode forth and Marcel filled them in. They had had to wait for Davina to wake up to make a potion strong enough to break the spell around the vault and it hadn't been easy.

"I need to get to Klaus." Elijah spoke but it was more to himself that to anyone there. He was already planning the next stepping, planning to save, to fix.

Hayley's phone buzzed however and the caller ID flashed. _Klaus _Hayley picked up the call.

"Klaus?"

"Did you find Elijah?" he asked directly and it sounded as if he was panting, his voice distorted...blood filled.

"Yeah he's with me." She replied.

Klaus closed his eyes in a hidden sense of relief.

"Klaus what is it?" she asked and there was a brief pause on the other end.

"It's done. Mikael's dead. It's our mothers turn now." Klaus spoke his voice bloodthirsty even after a fight and Hayley heard the strike of a lighter and the spark of combustion. He was burning the body. Mikael had awoken after Papa Tunde's knife had proven useless but Klaus had still won.

The words "You were never weak." had rung in his ears as the white oak stake was plunged.

"Just get to the compound, both of you. I've had enough for tonight." He spoke tiredly and the line went dead.

Hayley didn't need to tell anyone. Everyone was a vampire hear and they had all heard.

Elijah bit down on his teeth and his own look of painful relief washed over him.

"Father is dead."

"I guess Esther's got it coming." Hayley then breathed with fierceness in her tone.


	11. Need

Need

Hayley sauntered forwards finding it rather difficult to be around Elijah. Now that she knew he was safe, her defensive side seemed to be seeping through, her heart closing up and her mind propelling her to flee. Marcel was following close behind with Elijah and then Gia. She noticed the baby vampire speak some words of concern and tried not to git her teeth. Vampirism intensified emotions and it seemed like jealously was one of them. As a human Hayley doubted anything of the sort would have bothered her but her stupid new form seemed to be magnifying every small detail.

Her eyes now caught Elijah who still managed to smile back at Gia kindly. Yet Hayley saw though his firm posture, his facade. In reality she knew he was internally downtrodden and absolutely exhausted. She thought about the things she had learnt today and those painful memories splattered into her mind making her feel weak somewhere at her knees. Her heart began to patter as his words formed into her mind and she was forced to internally scowled. She wasn't weak. She was a hybrid. She was supposed to be strong. It was drilled into her mind and she shook her head wanting to clear her mind. Her eyes glinting.

_What would mentor Klaus suggest?_ she considered for a second since he was the only form of a mentor she had at present. Drunk and delirious as he could be it was better that nothing. His answer then formed in her mind as some signature sarcastic comment she had already forgotten. He used them so often.

A murder spree disguised as some sort of tactically plan would be what he would answer.

Hayley thought about it and found it actually sounded enticing, her mouth beginning to water at the thought of fresh blood.

_Food._ Hayley thought.

_Monster._ Hayley thought again feeling ashamed with herself. Klaus wasn't the best went it came to advice in that sense.

As she thought these things her senses soon rang in alarming bells. She turned around rapidly to find Elijah crumble into a heap on the ground. Marcel reached his side with Gia looking on in surprise. One minute he had be fine, the next an unconscious slump. Hayely's heart leapt. "Esther." She then hissed out loud. She should have known his evil mother would have a plan B.

"She must know." Hayley spoke to herself becoming incredibly alert. She scanned their surroundings and then back at Elijah. Marcel glanced towards her and they nodded to each other in agreement. The best thing now was to take him to the compound and Hayley reached to the other side to support Elijah's weight. They needed to hurry.

Marcel spoke a few quick words to Gia and her eyes hovered over Elijah with genuine concern. Hayley's expression softened, after all she herself was a new born too in a sense and Elijah, well... Elijah was just Elijah. Could she really blame the girl?

"They'll be waiting for news." Marcel spoke and Gia hesitated but turned ready to leave.

"He'll be okay. I promise." Hayley found herself saying and Gia smiled softly.

Hayley felt herself smile back, it was good not allowing the negative feelings to overpower her. Jealousy, anger, rage, these were easy things to feel. She surprisingly did miss her softer side sometimes but of course she would never admit to it.

They soon brought Elijah into the compound and Hayley guided Marcel to place him onto her bed. He looked dead and that scared her when it should not, for everyone knew vampires are already dead so why was she so worried. The answer terrified her more. She went back to observing his face and the lifeless look was not easy to see. It churned her feelings for him inside her. It made her battle with her softer side. Somehow Hayley knew that despite his motionless state he was in pain. He was in pain and that pained her.

Marcel then soon left and Hayley immediately took a seat by Elijah's side unable to stop herself from stroking his hair aside.

"What has she done to you now?" she whispered not wanting to know the answer. She'd just got him back and look at that, he was lost again.

"I'll fix this." Hayley then breathed firmly but then was then take a back by the sound of footsteps. Klaus soon appeared into view. He nearly looked as bad as Elijah; the fight with Mikael of course must have been truly Mikaelson style bloody. He held a damp cloth in his hand wiping the dried liquid off of his hands.

"We will." He spoke in his rare moments of supportiveness looking down at his big brother nearing him footstep by footstep.

"Whatever she has done to you." Klaus spoke with emotion gazing at Elijah's unresponsive body with brotherly affection and admiration.

"We will find a way." He finished softly and his eyes welled up with years of pain and then blinked it all away within the fraction of a second.

Hayley knew what Elijah meant to Klaus. He needed him greatly and now she herself was learning the hard way that she needed him too.


	12. Vigilance

Vigilance

Hayley sat in the birch wood rocking chair she hadn't yet found the heart to batter, break and throw away. It was the chair within she had wished to hold Hope in her arms and rock her to sleep on difficult nights, singing the few lullabies she knew but more so telling her stories full of awe and wonder. Alas however, things just never seem to go to plan. Hayley's heart sunk as she recalled her little girl, her fingers then suddenly flooding with an agonising ache to cradle her. Her stomach clenched and she felt a rise of sharp emotional pain peak inside of her. Then it stopped. Then there was nothing.

This was an endless cycle these days and although she was no longer spending her nights blood caked and curled up at an abandoned bus stop crying as hard as the rain which pattered violently around her; she couldn't escape that feeling of loss which had crept into her heart and had made it it's home.

Hayley sighed deeply and then leaned slightly forward in her chair with the agility of a hybrid so that it now balanced perfectly for a second, neither fully backwards nor forwards. She held the position with a comfortable concentration and then found she could hear the silent creek of the wood beneath her. Hayley allowed her sense to ripple away from her like and force field and she closed her eyes softly. She heard her own breath pouring out of her mouth like wafty steam and the booming sound of the clock's tick as if it was tapping to escape it's glass case.

She then focussed even more deeply and was now hearing the sound of someone dropping a quarter, their shoes rasping the tarmac before picking it up. The soft voice of angered arguing with a taxi driver in a nearby street was the next to be prey to her ears. However just as Hayley manager to master the filtering technique...snap. The elastic stretch of her ability panged back into it's place.

The rocking chair abruptly falling back from the maintained spot but Hayley had already lurched forwards and was now on her feet.

"Elijah." She breathed a relieved sigh her eyes locking on to the striking man which lay upon her bed. A sharp breath had escaped his dry lips and his muscles looked tenser that they were previously. Hayley rushed over to his side her warm fingers gliding over his automatically, her eyes never leaving his face. She sat next to him gently, feeling his side press against her waist.

"Hey..." She spoke softly reaching to clasp his forehead, her eyes widening as she did so. He was burning up. Her heart thudded a little fiercely in panic before she scolded herself to get a grip.

_Klaus._ She suddenly thought and then carefully but quickly rose from the bed squeezing Elijah's limp hand a little before flying over to Klaus's room. She barged in forgetting to knock and he tilted his head opening his mouth to reprimand her or roll his eyes but she spoke first anyway.

"He's burning up." Hayley almost blurted and Klaus's eyes widened. He moved forwards from previously leaning against the bed frame and threw down the rustic text he was flicking through agilely floating off the bed, past Hayley and into her room. His eyes raked over Elijah observantly and on feeling his forehead a jittering anxiety bubbled through him.

"We have to find a cure now." He spoke, his worries seeping through once again as he swung around from facing Elijah and began to pace the room.

Hayley thought hard while taking her seat beside Elijah once again.

"I tried, this morning to enter his thoughts but his mind is locked to me." Klaus explained, his voice laced with hints of despair.

Hayley flashed him a confused look. This was news. He must have came in while she was dealing with wolf issues.

Elijah's chest suddenly rose and Hayley's fingers naturally found themselves winding with his own. His breathing wavered and fell like he was a broken ventilator. And then a dulled pain fought to be heard somewhere inside of her. It was then that she noticed, her determined eyes narrowing and her face leaning closer with what she called curiosity. She had realised today and yesterday that his proximity still had a large effect on her. Hayley's fingers traced the neckline of Elijah's shirt and then tugged it away tenderly. She found there was a rash or scar in the shape of a flower petal sprawled along the side of his neck and then Klaus neared to see it for himself more clearly. He then deeply sighed as if recalling something and fell back into the room his eyes closing and then opening once more after a pause.

"What? What is it?" Hayley asked turning to look at him waiting impatiently for him to explain.

"I've seen that mark before." Klaus spoke sombrely.

"But not since I was a child."

Hayley listened carefully balancing on the edge of the bed and wanting to know what it was which had made Klaus frown in such a way.

"Mikael would return home from battle more blindly temperamental than usual, and our mother would use the petals of a rare medlock orchid to put him to sleep. She would mend his mind with a spell, and then wake him with the roots of the same plant." Klaus explained.

"So we need this medlock root thing." Hayley answer rising to her feet ready to search high and dry but Klaus stood in her way.

"_Rare_ medlock orchid. Hayley." He repeated and Hayley hovered for a second realising what Klaus was saying.

"What happens if we can't – " she began but noticing her concern he spoke first.

"My mother still may have access to it, there may be a possibility that it grows in the Bayou." He reassured and then as Hayley attempted to speak again continued.

"You stay here with your wolves and mind the fort." He instructed and for a second Hayley flared but her eyes then caught Elijah and softened.

Klaus watched this while she was unaware.

"Fine." Hayley then finally nodded and Klaus turned to leave pausing a little briefly however before disappearing completely.

"Maybe the bloom isn't off the rose after all." He spoke with an amused tone and Hayley felt her cheeks flush faintly.

She found her heart had pattered a little and a small smile twitched internally as she slowly took her seat by Elijah once again. Her hand slid affectionately over his shirt.

"Is he right?" she breathed to him softly as if it were forbidden to ask.


	13. Demons

**A/N:**** Just had to keep the Klaus bit! I thought it was beautiful and very moving and meaningful on the show!**

**P.S - Title inspired from the song Demons - Imagine Dragons**

* * *

><p><span>Demons<span>

Hayley dashed immediately into her room so fast it looked as if she fell into it, her hand grasping the door frame as she swung inside. The first thing she had thought of when arriving back at the compound was _Elijah._ and Elijah alone. He was filling up her mind today like helium in a balloon and she knew that even trying to tell herself that she hadn't been missing him up to date would be pointless from all angles. Just seeing him made her feel...

She hesitated.

What the feeling was exactly still seemed currently unexplainable

Hayley flipped back the hood of the dark jumper she had stolen from Elijah's room. It had his scent all over it and needing it for her "plan" almost felt like an excuse. She hugged the material and sighed as she came closer to Elijah. He looked unchanged, as if she had left him for only a few seconds. She reached the bed breathing deeply and sat gently by his side, her heart suddenly thudding in her chest hard.

She hadn't wanted to leave him but something else had driven her to, something strong, a primal instinct. It had angered her so much to see him placed in this painful state; she couldn't have just kept sitting there, watching. She was Hayley Marshall.

"You better wake up soon." Hayley now playfully scolded him now play before reaching forth and feeling his forehead with an ounce of fear. Luckily it was much cooler than before and she closed her eyes slightly relieved but of course was still full with concern.

_Klaus should be back with the Medlock root now._ She thought anxiously but then was distracted by Elijah's frame which stopped it's gently exhale for a second and began to breath more erratically. Before Hayley knew what she was doing her face neared his and she discovered she was now pressing her soft lips upon his forehead. Her eyes widened with shock as she then darted away, surprised by her own impulse. Her cheeks flushed as she looked cautiously around the room for a second before finally calming down and returning to gaze at him. Something in her subconscious swirled. She thought back to their capture in the cemetery and how she had thought about kissing him. The yearning that had enveloped her. That want...

The window to Hayley's room then suddenly shuttered and she gasped looking towards it and then sighed rolling her eyes internally.

Hayley had agreed to Klaus's request to stay back with her wolves but it hadn't been too long before her palms had begun to twitch with restlessness. She had felt the strong need to do something, anything. And not too soon after an idea had hit her.

_Elijah wouldn't just sit here._ Hayley had thought in the back of her mind as she had stroked over his fingers while clasping his hand and suddenly a great sense of determination had flooded her.

She had then confidently left the compound vowing that she'd return successful and she had.

Unaware to Klaus and Elijah Hayley's plan although difficult, with the help of Marcel, Gia and Cami had thrived and now the two other Mikaelson brothers, Finn and Col stood wrapped up in chains like a lovely early Christmas gift in the ballroom.

Hayley looked over her shoulder towards their direction and listened carefully using her hybrid perk, her eyes then narrowed from the lack of sound.

_Hmm._ She thought to herself rising from the bed gradually.

Slowly she then slipped her hand out of Elijah's slightly clammy one and strode towards her prisoners not wanting to make a single mistake regarding their capture.

Part of her deeply wanted Klaus and Elijah to realise that she was perfectly capable. They'd know her for far too long as just the mother wolf...her heart clenched as Hope's beautifully pure scent managed to appear into thin air but Hayley swallowed.

She was a hybrid now and she was beginning to understand that nothing, nothing at all could ever keep her always from her daughter. She was going to get her back; there were no two ways about it. For the past months she had been battling against her demons and they had been winning for so long but not anymore. It was her turn now and in making this decision she was beginning to feel stronger than ever.

As Hayley made her way to the ballroom, elsewhere a downtrodden Klaus entered the compound clutching in his fist the medlock orchid root he had desperately set of to retrieve and in a twisted and tragic way had lost his birth father in the process.

Klaus slowly stepped into Hayley's room, his eyes flickering wide like a child on seeing his big brother. He neared him gradually eventually standing at his side and gently applied the ointment with a rare tenderness about him.

The atmosphere filled with a strange sense of serenity and in the next few moments it was as if nature itself bowed down to listen...

"You were innocent once Elijah." He breathed almost softly and then the intense speech began...

"This bloodlust was forced upon us by our parents turning us from prey to predator..."

"We are the demons lurking in the shadows; we are the savage villains, in fairytales told to children but not for my child, not for Hope..."

"In her story we are the knights in shining armour, without you by my side I don't think I can survive my own love for my daughter..."

Klaus's breathing hitched and he swallowed or a second.

"I need you...I need you brother, the monster in me can only be checked by the monster in you. Only together we can defeat our demons and save our family"

Elijah's eyes flashed open with a jolt.


	14. Good Monsters

Good Monsters 

Klaus smiled a small smile, internally feeling a rush of relief as he watched his brother slowly sit up and adjust to consciousness. Elijah blinked dazed leaning inch by inch, his head feeling heavy as if he were floating drearily in mid air. Klaus then thumped him powerfully on the back, patting him firmly after and squeezing his shoulder.

In a few seconds Elijah was fully awakened.

He looked towards his little brother with a sincere piercing studious gaze, recalling his words once more within his mind, his changed mind. Elijah's jaw clenched, making his stubble dotted jawline more distinct. He then cleared his throat and swallowed biting down on his teeth.

Klaus's expression grew darker and he stroked his lip reading his brother's expression, noting the perspiration which refused to stop forming upon his forehead.

"What has she done?" Klaus asked separating each word to make it sound like an order.

"She offered me the same offer she did so to..." Elijah began looking into the distance but Klaus didn't need to finish. He had already found out about his mothers intentions on his hunt for the herb. She hadn't been surprised about Elijah's rescue. She herself had chosen to place Hayley along with him but why?

_What is she planning?_ Klaus's mind hissed.

"To...Hayley." Elijah had spoken not too long after but in that second his entire mind had somersaulted and everything seemed to have lost meaning.

_Where is she?_ he wondered and he felt his body tense at the thought of her, a twitching began pulsing within his palm. He recalled her skin against his in the burial vault and his temperature surely jumped a little. Her face so near his, her breath her scent...he was smothered by it now and his eyes lifted to rake the room. He was in her bedroom. Her scent was everywhere... Elijah's fingers then abruptly clutched the sheets beneath him and he swiftly swung his legs over taking a seat at the edge of the bed, and hanging his head low breathing shakily.

Klaus observed Elijah with a worry at the back of his mind. The image looked wrong. Elijah, the cool Original, unsettled, sweating, shaking almost within his body. He seemed almost delusional, eyes hovering ghostly across the room.

_She seems to be getting to us one by one._ He thought recalling his encounter today with his birth father. The word father then reminded of his own daughter and he felt a twinge of hurt, anger and worry.

"Elijah." Klaus called and Elijah's looked up at him suddenly and swallowed, puffing out a breath. He seemed to have calmed quite a bit and Klaus blinked glad that the shaky spell was only temporary. Then before he could stop himself the words were out of his mouth in a vulnerable but all the same strong tone.

"Yesterday I killed Mikael and today I have thus slain my birth father." Klaus's voice wavered and he turned to face away from Elijah whose eyes widened as he began to listen to the recount of recent events after which there was a long and pregnant pause.

Elijah then stood up slowly moving towards his brother who still stood faced away. His hand then reached out and rested firmly upon his shoulder as it had been done so for countless decades and he turned his brother towards him and looked him in the eye fiercely.

"You did the right thing." Elijah spoke and his words made Klaus blinked more than once.

"You did this for Hope." He spoke and Klaus's saline eyes widened.

"For Hope." He breathed resolutely and pressed his own palm to his counsel's, his brother's shoulder.

Esther had give Elijah a nightmare tonight, from which he would never awake, the latch to his red door had been picked open and there was no going back now.

_We **are** monsters._ Elijah thought. _But** good** monsters, if ever a thing exists._

He then sighed and his eyes lowered.

The image of Hayley began playing in his mind like a broken picture film, Hayley and then Tatia both donned in bright white, flashing alternating images. They were running, screaming...from him.

He bit down on his teeth hard and grasped his secretly clenched shaking fist striding out of the room to his own one in the deep need of cool cascade of water. Maybe a Holy one.


	15. Distancing Desire

Distancing Desire

Hayley returned from her inspection and sauntered into her bedroom, her eyes hooking onto the site of her empty bed and then at Klaus's dark figure. He stood in the centre of her room with a lost sullen sort of look upon on his face as if he were in a world of his own. The look then disintegrated the second he acknowledged another in the room. As Hayley walked in, his eyes slowly turned to notice her and he followed her gaze towards the bed.

The corner of lips twitched into a brief smile as he raised an eyebrow towards her.

She narrowed her eyes briefly at him before giving him a questioning glare.

"He's fine." Klaus replied before she could even ask and he internally rolled his eyes. He was beginning to wonder if whether in his lengthy lifetime he had ever come across two other individuals who were more hopeless at concealing their feelings for one another.

Hayley's eyes found themselves naturally brightening on hearing this news. If the Mikaelson brothers downstairs were going to be Klaus's Christmas gift, this year, hers would have to be Elijah's return. As she thought of this the strange feeling in her abdomen intensified, ballooning and deflating and she felt her cheeks heat slightly. Her lips twitched a little and she was forced to allow her eyes to flicker towards the ground as she leaned at the door frame.

Klaus watched her intently.

_Maybe Hayley shall, be his salivation..._ he found himself wondering.

_As Hope his mine._

Hayley tried to get a grip but several thoughts and questions suddenly began sprouting about in her mind. She wondered if Elijah had heard anything she has said, felt any of her gentle touches. She then began to wonder how he was, what he was feeling. Did he want to see her? What had Ester put him through this time?

Hayley then realised she had been silent for far too long and turned to face Klaus blinking and clasping her hands together.

"I didn't ask..." she then spoke slowly while actually rolling her own eyes casually to hide the slight nervous clench of her stomach which was now beginning to effect her voice too.

"Yes I know." Klaus smirked.

"You didn't need to." He then replied coolly, teasingly almost but then as he moved from his spot his usual tone was back.

_Oh great what have I done this time?_ Hayley now wondered noticing Klaus's patronising glare.

"But speaking of, on the other hand _I_ do have something to ask." He spoke narrowing his eyes at Hayley who was currently in no mood for a lecture and was instead fighting the urge to peer into the hallway.

"Hayley." Klaus then spoke more harshly and Hayley huffed directing her attention back to him hugging the dark hoodie around her.

"What?" She replied with probably slightly too much attitude for Klaus's liking.

"Where do you think you have been?" he questioned but Hayley continued with a cool indifference which only puzzled Klaus further. She was really getting fed up of this childlike treatment. She folded her eyes and leaned back on a foot.

"Marcel and I have a gift for you in the ballroom." She then spoke calmly and Klaus's eyebrows furrowed with curiosity but Hayley remained silent not giving anything away.

Eventually, he began to stride past her a confused expression still plastered to his face and Hayley watched him intently, her lips forming a small curve of a smile.

"You're welcome?" Hayley shrugged her shoulders rolling off the door frame and following after him. Klaus swiftly descended the stairs and the sight which greeted him evoked a glint in his eye.

Hayley surveyed the scene looking quite pleased with herself and quite rightly so for each of her captives were already bringing home some optimism make up for their recent more horrid losses.

Klaus turned around brief to give her a surprised, pleased cock of the head and before long he was wrapped up with Marcel mostly likely discussing what he was best at, some intricate plan of revenge.

Soon however their voices became a blur and Hayley found herself focussed on one thought alone.

_Elijah..._

She still hadn't seen him yet and the jittering inside her wasn't something she was doing very well in controlling. She felt like she needed to see him.

Unknown to Hayley however, Elijah had secretly appeared out of his room and now stood above her on the balcony, his eyes swooping down and gripping her image like a magnet.

He breathed steadily drinking in her detail.

He was feeling more stable, dressed in a fresh white crisp shirt, the weight of his jacket perfectly cloaking him. The familiarity of his ways was returning to him now as he tied his cufflinks while watching her, breathing more deeply. He looked flawless with not a fault in sight but inside his conscience was still preying on him and so he kept his distance now even while watching her, terrified that his strange and strong desire to be in her presence would be too powerful to resist.

Being captured in the vault had weakened his decision to distance himself from her. Watching her see his memories, knowing she now knew parts of his affection for her that she hadn't before. Witnessing her concern, her soft touch...it had made him desire her so profusely.

He gazed at her now that familiar ache seeping through him all over. God he missed her, he thought but one image of his mother's foul torture was enough to make him gulp. He could not bear to see her harmed. He couldn't, especially not at his hands; his hands which he now had been reminded were made for destruction.

Elijah blinked fighting back the disturbing thoughts, turning them off tightly like a screwing a tap.

Still however a barrel full of emotions poured over him as he observed her but these ones he could deal with. At first he felt a great sigh of relief washed over him at seeing her so well, so strong, smiling. It made his own mouth twitch slightly and then a touch of surprise hit him and his gaze narrowed.

_Surely..?_ He then thought observing the dark hooded jacked she was wearing with more attention. It was his. He turned back to look into his room where he had left it and found it was not there.

His heart played a funny beat and then almost convulsed as he watched her pull the sleeves and bite her ever so soft lip.


	16. Hunting For The Hiding

Hunting For The Hiding

A frustrated Hayley marched down the corridors of the compound peering left and right into the rooms in what was becoming an almost desperate search for Elijah. It had been hours now, and yet she had still not caught even a glimpse of him anywhere in the compound, nor heard from anyone about his whereabouts.

Suddenly Hayley stopped abruptly in her tracks as it hit her hard.

"He's avoiding me." She muttered irritated, annoyed also with herself for not putting two and two together earlier. Elijah wouldn't just disappear into thin air for no apparent reason, especially with the issues at hand and she had already called Klaus and checked that he wasn't with him so that only left two options.

_Either he's been nabbed again..._ she had considered but had cast aside as highly unlikely, or...

_He's avoiding me._ She came to the same conclusion once again knowing now it was almost a hundred percent certain.

"When Elijah doesn't want to be found, he won't be." Gia had replied with an apology. So even baby vamp didn't know where he was hiding.

Hayley kicked and cursed inside half wanting to physically throw something or thwart the wall with her new-found hybrid strength.

_Of course he'd do this._ She groaned internally at the thought of the self-sacrificing idiot she was...

Hayley gulped for a second as the thought became evident within her mind.

_In love with...?_ she considered slowly in a hushed thought a little surprised by how naturally it had flowed within her.

Her heart then thudded powerfully as she began thinking of the vault, the words, his words within her mind and her temperature rose slightly.

_I'm in love with him..._ something breathed within her soul and she felt her heart swell as the thought formed and burst into her mind as if it were being freed from gates of platinum.

_I need to find him._ She then thought swirling and tapping her phones onto her palm.

_And this time I'll have to do it the hybrid way._ She shrugged though determinedly with that fierce look in her eye.

Hayley pulled up the hooded jacket and inhaled it deeply, latching onto Elijah's scent and then vanished appearing into the busy street of New Orleans's down below.

She placed her hands firmly upon her hips and tipped the heel of her boot upon the tarmac turning around to watch a mass of people passing her by. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate without looking to unusual and then scoffed.

It was no use.

All she could smell was the puffs of spices within the air, steamy crawfish and the sweet scent of beignets. She heard a lonesome busker play the saxophone with worn out thumbs in the distance and the coins that dropped into his case as the music sang out into the air but no Elijah.

This was proving more difficult than she had thought.

_I mean where am I meant to start?_ she hissed to herself inside finding herself naturally pouting.

She felt the frustration build up inside her again and almost felt like she'd stamp her feet like a five year old child having a tantrum. She hadn't even considered yet what it was that she was going to tell him when she did find him and bursting into the room and saying I love you just didn't seem her style.

_Anyway who knows how he's feeling with all the mess in our lives right now._ She considered striding down the street towards the docks still determined to find him when suddenly...

She caught it in the air and smell so strong so distinct.

Blood.

_Elijah's blood._ She breathed and was at the spot within a second completely sure that it came from no other being. She had smelled it not long ago; in the vault within which they had been captured. Hayley remembered the cuts upon Elijah's chest and winced. She knew he'd healed by now but recalling him in that state still managed to pain her and now she felt a drop of that worry flow through her as she picked up the fabric convulsing with Elijah's scent off the floor.

It was his handkerchief embroidered with the letters E and M in a grandiose but simple font and Hayley felt it between forefinger and thumb looking perplexed. It wasn't like him to just drop things, or leave things lying around like this.

_Something's wrong._ She exhaled softly her eyes widening a little as she stood up from her crouched position on the floor.

* * *

><p>Elijah sat hunched within a classic padded wine chair as the wind whistled across the docks outside building. He came here every so often, when he needed to get away from The French Quarter and in other words when he didn't wish to be found for no one knew that he owned this property. His stiff shoes rubbed against the Persian rug scattered across the floor and he stepped on it, straightening it so it was now neatly in place.<p>

Elijah lifted his heavy head and sighed deeply reaching out an arm without looking to grab the crystal glass of strong liquor which sat upon a mahogany stool beside him. He swallowed it in one gulp and slammed it back down on the hard surface falling back into his chair and breathing heavily. He tilted his head back against the cool chair and closed his eyes exhaling deeply trying to regulate the tempest which has not too long ago rushed within him.

A few seconds passed like this and Elijah felt his body calm and he wiped under his nose to check for where previously blood had dripped with a maddening heat.

_It's over._ He told himself relieved but yet unconvinced for internally he somehow knew this episode would repeat itself in future and as the recollection of his red blood reminded him of the red door within his mind.

He saw the same image flash before him again, the one which kept flashing back, ridding him of peace. Tatia in her flowing white lace skirt running with terror away from his monstrous being and Hayley, oh Hayley flashing after in the same attire.

Elijah groaned, creasing his forehand with forefinger and thumb. Oh how he missed her, her scent, her touch, her voice - be it sassy or soothing.

Elijah forced a broken smile while thinking of the woman he loved suddenly craving her company with all his might. He recalled the image of her in his jacket and the smile grew as he wondered if she was still wearing it somewhere, wherever she was...

* * *

><p>Hayley was striding across the docks, the bunt floorboards creaking beneath her step as her hair flew in the salty wind. She knew she was close to him now and it wasn't any of the five senses that told her that. She just sort of knew, like it was a gut instinct calling her to him. She stopped upon the planks of wood taming her blowing hair and running both hands over her head as she looked around 180 degrees.<p>

Eventually she reached a building, one she hadn't really noticed before and her eyebrows furrowed as she focused onto it, noticing one room a lit by a softly glowing light.

"Gotcha..." she whispered just knowing it was him.


	17. Reunion

**A/N:**** I am considering writing an M rated chapter next...please let me know if you're in favour of this idea. :) x**

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><p><span>Reunion <span>

Hayley reached the strong wooden door and grazed her nail over the contours of it's detailing, tapping lightly as she listen against it. Her heart palpitated within her chest as a slight series of nervy waves rippled over her. She knew he was inside, somehow she could sense it. She knocked upon the door frame feeling rather stupid since she could easily whoosh in through the window if she liked but something inside her was brimming with anticipation.

Elijah narrowed his eyes, his forehead creasing, still pained from the pangs of witchy torture. This was his personal residence, no one bothered him here he thought, surveying his solitary furnishings, his eyes dancing over the vast amount of leather bound books sitting at his disposal. He had found that even reading couldn't distract him efficiently.

Nonetheless Elijah's thoughts came to a halt and he strained to stand up from his chair and sighed making his way to the front door. He slung off his navy tie as he walked which was creased from the previous yanking. His shirt displaying similar lines and as he looked down at it his palms twitched. He considered changing into yet another garment but his heavy heart sluggishly demurred and he stepped forth to open the door, ready to shoo away whoever it was that had found him.

Hayley turned around as she heard the door open, her hair flourishing in the direction of the wind. Her eyes sparked a little on seeing him and then distorted slightly with concern. She curled a piece of her hair around her ear and looked him directly in the eye, forgetting about any words which may have been roaming abound in her mouth just before.

Elijah blinked surprised at seeing her here; he had assumed she would have accepted his choice of isolation, if not immediately but after a while at least. He stared back at her with a piercing gaze and that feeling of desire and love and inexpiable adoration began jumping up and down within his heart. He swallowed and dampened his lips. She was still wearing his jacket he noticed and mused again about how much it suited her better.

"Have you come to return something that is mine?" he asked still staring at her, slightly reaching out to tug the fabric. Hayley's heart fluttered at the pull but she looked down at the jacket and narrowed her eyes. _Really that's the first thing he says to me_ she thought to herself slightly annoyed.

"You never even wear this thing." She replied stubbornly but then swiftly changed the subject to more prominent matters by holding up his handkerchief and saying.

"But I do have something else that's yours."

Elijah blinked at the bloodied handkerchief and took it from her fingers. Hayley waited for an explanation unaware that Elijah had no plans of giving her one. He still stubbornly wished to stick by his decision, no matter how much he was dying to touch her in the instant.

"Well thank you for returning it to me." He spoke politely and then moved back to close the door.

Hayley scoffed putting her booted foot in the way.

"You get captured, tortured by your mother, faint and go into a witchy coma, return. And now you're avoiding me like the babbling door to door sales guy?" She exclaimed incredulous.

"Move out of the way." She then instructed to a sighing Elijah who obliged knowing her all too well.

She walked past him and he closed the door.

"Hayley." He began in an attempt to conjure up an explanation but she walked into the room in which he had been previously sat and began examining it.

"So this is where you've been hiding." She folded her arms and muttered as Elijah came into view and watched her as she perused through an open book. He suddenly then realised she was the only other person to have set foot in the house other than him.

"I believe I need some time." Elijah spoke softly but inside he was drinking in her appearance. He found he had missed her so god damn much and leaned against the door frame as if relishing just her presence. She then looked at him and his eyes blinked away.

"Some time." She repeated slightly louder and Elijah moved off from the door frame. Hayley was about to continue her admonishing but she noticed Elijah's face change and his hand clasps his head.

"Elijah." She breathed worriedly and her eyed widened with concern. She noticed the veins aroused his eyes protrude and her lips parts with an anxious breath.

Elijah then felt the same distortion of vision, the painful pang of his red door knocking about within his brain and the anguish rained down on him. He grit his teeth and groaned as beads of sweat formed upon his forehead.

"Hayley. Get out of here." He uttered between breaths, terrified of harming her but Hayley disobeyed. She was at his side and heaved him into the chair taking hold of his hand and rubbing it soothingly.

Elijah gripped her hand tightly and tugging her slightly leaned forwards to look at her firmly.

"Go." He groaned staring into her wide eyes. _So beautiful_ he thought but Hayley was not about to listen.

"I'm not going anywhere." She whispered resolute in her decision.

Elijah's breaths grew heavier and more painful.

"You...don't understand..." he spat stumbling off the chair and onto his knees.

"I could hurt you." He almost sobbed and growled at the same time as a tear escaped.

Hayley's heart clenched and she felt herself melt inside as she dropped to her own knees in front of him but remained strong outwardly.

"I'm not scared." She then spoke firmly and softly and drew nearer to him her mind suddenly clearing of all the doubts she'd been having about him.

She looked at him before a brief pause.

Then before Elijah knew it her mouth had crushed upon his and his moan of pain was muffled by her sweet tasting lips. Feelings of shock and rapture shot up inside him and his hand automatically fisted into her free flowing hair, clutching it needily while cradling her head against his.

Hayley gasped breathing shakily and kissed him harder as she felt his familiar hand slide down her smooth back and encircle her waist, pulling her possessively towards him. She felt his tense body again hers and her body tingled. Hayley pressed closer. She sucked his bottom lip and cupped his face stroking soothingly and his thumbs circled the side of her stomach as they caught each other breath.

They both then breathed deeply. Heads pounding and hearts pattering. Equally shocked by the suddenness of their action and they withdrew slightly only to stare deeply into one another's eyes with a strange wonderment. Elijah found the pain had disappeared, he knew not how but it had. All he felt now was desire. Desire and...

Their chest raised and fell in unison and they continued to stare. Elijah stroked her swollen lip and she murmured softly. Elijah's heart convulsed and he suddenly clasped her to him, clutching securely. Hayley in turn threw her arms around his neck and squeezed tightly too their scents bathing each other and their inner deprivation of each other finally began to be fed. She scrunched her eyes and inhaled against his shoulder, realising that she could not let go no matter what had happened. Their arguments, the tears, the pain, the distance, the horrid stabs at each other; none of it mattered now.

Elijah closed his eyes and tried to convince himself that this was no dream. She really was in his arms, all of it was real. And her feelings, her feelings mirrored his own. He stroked her hair soothingly and her face slowly appeared in front of him from hiding against his neck. Elijah stroked her jaw and tilted her chin towards him and kissed her softly. He then swiftly lifted her onto her feet.

He looked at her with pure love, his hands still circling her waist and pressing her against him. Hayley slide her hand up his shirt and Elijah closed his eyes as he felt her touch trail across him. He struggled to fight the urge to give in but stopped her hand. Hayley looked at him confused.

Elijah saw her expression and couldn't bear the thought of parting with her but logically he knew what had to be done. "Listen to me." He whispered smoothing her hair back. "It need you to go." He spoke softly thinking of the memory of Tatia and quickly brushing off the thought.

Hayley recoiled and Elijah's heart sank. Her mind mined for a thousand answers as the bubbled of doubt began to reform. _Is this a rejection?_ She thought horrified. _Is he really choosing his self-sacrificing nature again_ she thought as disappointment stabbed her heart.

"What...?" she asked softly, feeling almost discarded and her eyes flickered towards the ground. Elijah noticed her sombre tone and kicked himself inside for choosing the wrong words. He knew she was filling up with doubt at each second. The expression of hurt and confusion sprawled across her beautiful face was enough to make his heart bleed; he couldn't watch it any longer. Suddenly his grip around her waist tightened and he pushed her against the bookcase padding her fall with his arm. Hayley gasped, looking at him and softly squirming in his grasp.

"Don't you dare doubt it." He half hissed and whispered, kissing her neck and causing her to sigh. The sound melted him and he placed her forehead upon hers.

"My mother..." Elijah whispered as his hand trailed up Hayley's arm.

"She has damaged me," he swallowed, pressing his forehead more.

"The thought of harming you..." he then half stuttered but Hayley kissed him fully and deeply to silence him a hum of delight vibrating in his mouth. Elijah cupped her face with one hand the suddenly pinned both her arms against the bookcase pushing her back with a tame growl.

"I crave you." He drawled staring at her with passionate eyes.

"My hunger for you..." he spoke breathlessly.

"It could overwhelm me." He puffed.

Hayley never broke eye contact instead she leaned forward and bit his lip gently, letting it roll of her teeth.

"I love you." She whispered and looked up at him slowly from beneath her eyelashes.

Elijah's eyes widened and he could have sworn that his heart stopped. His body gained a sense of power like no other and he scooped the woman before him into his arms effortlessly as she wrapped her legs around him. Elijah reached his bedroom in seconds and standing at the foot of his magnificent bed he laid Hayley in the sprawl of his brilliant white sheets. She watched him intently, eyes filled with the love she had just professed her heart thudding with anticipation.

Elijah leaned over the bed frame and hovered over her from above. He stared deeply and his lips parted automatically. He felt his body sigh as the words escaped his mouth.

"I love you..." He breathed huskily.


	18. Release

**A/N: Finally got to write some Haylijah smut, so enjoy! I am considering a morning after/breakfast scene as an epilogue. Also thank you for the reviews. They're much appreciated. :) x**

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><p><span>Release<span>

Hayley had felt a flooding wave of powerful emotion rush right through her as she had heard the three small but enormous words before a crashing kiss had graced her lips and she had moaned with swirling delight. She knew the magnitude of what it had taken for him to speak them; she was almost still struggling to believe he actually had. How long she had yearned to hear them? How long she had painstakingly hoped they were true? She found it felt like she had been waiting forever, forever for this release.

In that instant Elijah struggled to fight the urge to devour her, his strong arms holding his tingling body above and preventing a plummet and spark of ravaging. He needed this to be right. By God be he in any mental state, he knew he would not forgive himself if this was rushed; yet that primal feeling inside him growled with an appetite so deprived. In seconds his fingers flitted to the zip of his own jacket, acting as gift wrap to the woman he loved and in nanoseconds it was swiftly yanked it down, splaying the fabric open and leaving his hands to explore.

He rubbed her now smooth stomach with the flat of his hand, caressing through the thin murky green blouse which clung to her beautiful skin. He then let it travel, sensuously up sliding over her stomach only to stop and rest beneath her bust. He felt her heart thud thud beneath his palm as his own beated in reply.

There was a short paused and then crescendo struck once again.

Elijah fisted the seams of the doomed blouse and used it to tug her towards him, rewarded by Hayley's erotic hitch of breath. The shirt then crumpled loosening around her quivering frame as goose bumps embellished her soft skin. Hayley looked down at her royal purple laced bra and then at Elijah who had paused to drink her in.

Her mouth twitched slight and she bit her lip leaving Elijah's eyes to sparkle. He hovered over her mouth and she nuzzled him catching his lips and humming with delight. Elijah allowed his lips to sink down further and they kissed firmly with closed eyes as Elijah's hand slid back down her stomach only to hook into the waist band of her jeans and tug sharply.

Hayley whined as she was once again reminded of the strong need developing inside of her.

She melted at his touch allowing him to venerate and arouse her all at once. She sighed and arched off the bed towards him and the smallest movements were enough to drive Elijah wild. He slid back to his knees shuffling between her while scooping a hand under her waist to pull her towards him. She looked at him and both their eyes blazed. Hayley returned his piercing stare as Elijah without batting so much as an eyelid, lifted her foot and removed her shoe. He continued this dropping each item to the floor until both her feet were bare and resting on his shoulder within his grasp.

Elijah softy kissed Hayley's ankle and then grit his teeth at Hayley's murmuring expression, caused in turn. He rapidly pinned her wrists to the bed and kissed her hard cradling her head in his large firm hands and keened intensely, withdrawing his lips with an almost pained expression.

He then drank the sight of Hayley's lips which were softly puckered and slightly swollen and he could have sworn his mind spun. Hayley's breath puffed against his own and he tensed with a shiver, forcing himself to wait. He kissed her neck and moaned throatily while sucking her earlobe. "I don't want to rush." He drawled, fisting her hair and exposing her throat in order to graze his teeth and kiss along it. Elijah heard her soft mewls and felt his trousers tightened even more so than before and in a wantonly response Hayley immediately began to throb.

Elijah groaned against her tender throat. _The things she makes me feel. _ He thought as his breaths kissed her skin, He felt she was enough to make his heart spontaneously combusts. So long he had craved to have her in his arms, to worship her with his touch and to play her hearts strings as gently but skilfully as a harp' without breaking any cord . And here she was in front of him, in love with him. His stomach somersaulted with exhilaration.

The sound of their soft rasping breaths filling the silence.

Hayley stared deeply at Elijah in almost a thick and heavy trance; her eyes wide and pooling with love and need. She then slowly shifted beneath him sighing as she inhaled his intoxicating scent. She propped up her elbows upon the bed and then slid her smooth and soothing hand against the nape of Elijah's neck then journeying back down his shoulder to the buttons of his shirt. She tore it open effortlessly and paced her heated hand upon his bare and already heaving chest then trailing her fingers teasingly down his torso began tracing the edge of his belt.

Elijah inhaled sharply causing a slight hiss between his teeth as he felt her touch. His eyes closed and his insides began bubbling even more so with a longing that was so strong, it almost felt dangerous. A desperate need to be cemented to the woman lying underneath him banged against his iron gates of self control.

Hayley pulled open the leather contraption and slid it off Elijah's hip. She felt a wetness pool between her legs as she brushed a hand over Elijah's hardness causing a guttural growl to escape his mouth. Hayley in turn felt the pulsing between her legs increase and it's heat grow hotter she unzipped the trousers and tugged down watching the erection adjust to the new space and then bit her lip hard once again. Elijah slipped off quickly removing the article and throwing it aside along with his shirt; he then sharply gripped the waistband of Hayley's jeans and pulled them off, removing each leg and again casting the garment aside.

As he stood Hayley grasped the moment to unclasp her bra leaving Elijah to dampen his lips and stare at her swell of breasts.

He swooped back over her and kissed and caressed them feeling a small stiffness then press against his chest as their skin touched with an electrifying feel, hands stroking and exploring as their feet brushed each other's legs intertwining into hungry and needy tug. Hayley then slid her tongue between Elijah's open mouth; it was sucked immediately and she moaned with delight feeling the stiffness pressing against her navel pulse even more. Hayley bucked quickly and Elijah found he could wait no longer. He needed her now, in this instant and she was his.

He slid his hand down as she squirmed beneath him kissing him powerfully still and then oscillated at the grey lace trim of her panties, his fingertips brushing the top of her mound. Hayley whined headily this time beginning to grow impatient, she slide her own hand between them clasping over Elijah's and pushed down.

That was the only encouragement Elijah needed.

He could smell her sweet scent and boy it was maddening. His hand slid swiftly to cup her musky sex and he then extended a finger to touch her sweet and moist lips. His head pounded at feeling her wetness and he stroked her causing her to moan sharp but languidly as her feathered head thrashed upon the pillow. He stroked her more and slowly plunged a finger and then two, while also beginning to circle her firm and throbbing nub with his free thumb; all while watching her with hooded eyes. She was swollen and needy and the thought was driving him insane. He removed his fingers and suddenly and swiftly parted Hayley's legs with his knee. He then while watching her grasped the thin grey fabric until it crumbled into his fist.

His eyed widened greedily as he caught sight of her and Hayley's mouth curved slightly. "Greedy Elijah. This is new." She thought to herself and suddenly pounced forwards towards him, kneeling and tugging Elijah sharply to push him onto the bed. She abruptly tugged off his boxers and hovered over him eagerly. Elijah smiled letting her have her way for a few seconds before flipping her over onto her back and holding her firmly.

"Am I entitled one night without you bossing me around?" He teased alluringly and Hayley narrowed her eyes. Elijah then kissed her navel and she moaned distracted instead choosing to run her hair into his dark strands as he slid own and kissed her mound softly. He then swiftly returned and shuffled between her legs before she could change her mind. Hayley wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her wrists upon his firm shoulders and spluttered a soft whimper as he rubbed over her sensitive place with his hardened and eager length. She wriggled in his grip and he watched her intently anticipating the moment with an irregularly pattering heart. Heaven damn him if it may but he loved her he thought and then pushed softly and they moaned together gasping and then suddenly he thrust deeper as Hayley clutched him to her. He allowed her to adjust and they kissed briefly breathlessly.

Hayley's eyes widened and she struggled to sift her numerous emotions everything just felt...so...she moaned in pleasure as Elijah began to move. She was not used to this. Sex with a man she loved. It felt. It felt. So much more... she thought as she gasped and then confidently caught his lips as he began to move more and faster, rhythmically pleasuring both of them in as they began to immerse themselves in the feelings of want and love.

Again the pace quickened, and the undulating movement intensified as each second passed.

Hayley arched towards him as Elijah cupped her face and bit her lip snagging it slightly as beads of sweat appeared upon his forehead. He nipped her throat gently and released quivering moans against it as he pushed further and deeper as Hayley tugged him more raking her fingers through his hair and breathing quickly but softly while her lips brushed his heated ear. He felt her legs slide around his waist and suddenly they were cemented just as he had wished for them to be and Elijah felt a burden lift from deep within his heart as his pain-filled soul began to breathe with their love. He stroked her slightly matted hair back as he felt her begin to squeeze around him and his hand slid possessive and protectively around her waist to hold her as she began to unravel before him.

Hayley felt the trails of fire begin to wash in waves over her as he her body contracted with a shudder and then began to dissolve into pleasure. Her hand shot out to grip Elijah's upper arm and she felt the static ripple fly as she reached closer and closer to a shockwave of undesirable bliss.

Elijah pulsated within her still moving as she bucked against him as he himself neared his own release gritting his teeth and huskily grunting along with each thrust. The clench drove him to the edge and he leaned closer to the woman he love, holding her wrists delicately and stroking them before interlocking their hands as the shot of ecstasy began to pour. She squeezed his hands back tightly and arched for him with a deep exhale. Elijah stuttered, his eyes closed shut tight as his muscled tensed and he groaned low and roughly as Hayley panted beneath him melting into the sheets.

The two desperately puffed for air and Elijah slumped unable to support himself any longer. Hayley then wrapped around him hugging him and still recovering from the disbelief of the occurrence.

"I love you." Elijah blurted breathless in her embrace.

"I love you." he repeated again in a similar fashion as he clutched her closer to relish her presence. Hayley smiled and gently rolled him onto his back and laid on top of him gently.

"Hey..." she spoke still smiling softly.

"I was going to say that." She complained teasingly.


End file.
